News ArticleBharti Airtel Penalized Rs.1,60,000 and Rs.1,02,000 by DoT for Subscriber Verification Norm Violations in Two LSAs
Company disputes Rs.1,60,000 penalty in Jammu & Kashmir but accepts Rs.1,02,000 penalty in Uttar Pradesh East; penalties follow DoT's Customer Application Form audits
Bharti Airtel Limited received penalty notices from the Department of Telecommunications for alleged violations of subscriber verification norms in Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh East LSAs, amounting to Rs.1,60,000 and Rs.1,02,000 respectively. The company disputes the Jammu & Kashmir penalty but will pay the Uttar Pradesh East penalty.
Bharti Airtel Limited
Legal / Regulatory
Bharti Airtel Limited has received two penalty notices from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for alleged failures in complying with subscriber verification norms in the Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh East Licensed Service Areas (LSAs). The total penalties amount to Rs. 2,62,000.
The DoT conducted periodic Customer Application Form (CAF) audits reviewing compliance with subscriber verification requirements stipulated in Bharti Airtel's license agreements.
For Quarter 1 of fiscal year 2026-27, the DoT issued a notice on November 5, 2026, imposing a penalty of Rs. 1,60,000 related to alleged violation of subscriber verification norms in the Jammu & Kashmir LSA. Bharti Airtel has not accepted this penalty and plans to seek rectification or reversal.
On the same date, November 5, 2026, the DoT issued another notice imposing a penalty of Rs. 1,02,000 for similar violations in the Uttar Pradesh East LSA for the August 2026 period. Bharti Airtel has opted not to contest this penalty and intends to pay the amount.
Both penalties are capped at the amounts imposed. The company stated these amounts reflect the maximum financial impacts from the alleged non-compliance.
Bharti Airtel confirmed these disclosures comply with regulatory requirements and have been submitted to stock exchanges accordingly.
Highlights
- DoT imposed Rs. 1,60,000 penalty for Jammu & Kashmir LSA subscriber verification breaches for Q1 2026-27 CAF audit.
- DoT imposed Rs. 1,02,000 penalty for Uttar Pradesh East LSA subscriber verification breaches for August 2026 CAF audit.
- Bharti Airtel disputes Jammu & Kashmir penalty and will seek reversal.
- Company accepts and will pay penalty for Uttar Pradesh East violations.
- Penalties relate to alleged non-compliance with license agreement customer verification terms confirmed by DoT's periodic audits.
Key Data Snapshot
What happened
- The Department of Telecommunications conducted audits and identified alleged violations of subscriber verification norms by Bharti Airtel in two Licensed Service Areas.
- Accordingly, DoT imposed penalties of Rs. 1,60,000 in Jammu & Kashmir LSA and Rs. 1,02,000 in Uttar Pradesh East LSA.
- Bharti Airtel disputes the Jammu & Kashmir penalty and intends to seek its reversal but will pay the Uttar Pradesh East penalty.
Key details
- Subscriber verification norms are part of the licensing terms requiring customer identity verification before enrollment.
- DoT's Customer Application Form Audit (CAF Audit) confirms telecommunications license holders' compliance with these norms.
- Notices were issued on 5 November 2026 with specific reference to the identified time periods for each LSA audit.
Regulatory and governance context
- The penalties arise under the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements), Regulations, 2015, specifically Regulation 30 requiring disclosure of material regulatory actions to stock exchanges.
- The company has submitted disclosures in compliance with regulatory requirements to BSE and NSE using symbols 532454 and BHARTIARTL respectively.
Highlights
- DoT imposed Rs. 1,60,000 penalty for Jammu & Kashmir LSA subscriber verification breaches for Q1 2026-27 CAF audit.
- DoT imposed Rs. 1,02,000 penalty for Uttar Pradesh East LSA subscriber verification breaches for August 2026 CAF audit.
- Bharti Airtel disputes Jammu & Kashmir penalty and will seek reversal.
- Company accepts and will pay penalty for Uttar Pradesh East violations.
- Penalties relate to alleged non-compliance with license agreement customer verification terms confirmed by DoT's periodic audits.
Disclosures
- SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements), Regulations, 2015 - Regulation 30
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